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Research by the Education Endowment Foundation has found that metacognition is key to effective pupil learning: it can add up to seven months of additional learning, and improve the outcomes of disadvantaged learners. Not only that, but it is a way for teachers to gauge how well their students understand their own learning processes and regulate their learning, so that they can support them accordingly. This is a key challenge in the field, particularly when remote learning is taking place.

In this article, we will outline what metacognition refers to, why it is important in education, and which strategies you could use to teach it in your classroom.

The term metacognition refers to an individual's ability to plan, monitor, evaluate, and make changes to their own learning behaviours in order to confront challenges more effectively. You might have heard it defined as 'thinking about thinking', but the elements of active monitoring and modifying of thought processes make it much more than this. It is also a form of self-regulation, involving self-awareness, critical analysis skills, and the ability to problem-solve.

For students, having metacognitive skills means that they are able to recognise their own cognitive abilities, direct their own learning, evaluate their performance, understand what caused their successes or failures, and learn new strategies. It can also help them learn how to revise. This is because it optimises their basic cognitive processes, including memory, attention, activation of prior knowledge, and being able to solve or complete a task. It makes them learn more efficiently and more effectively, and so they are able to make more progress.

For example, a student with metacognitive skills might:

Recognise that they have trouble applying formulas in maths.

Think about the maths problems they have solved before, and the strategies they used.

Apply these strategies, assessing whether they are working or not.

Try a different strategy if the one they are using is not effective.

Reflect on how they performed in this task, and use this to inform their future work.

Metacognitive skills are useful across all subjects, because they enhance the way you learn, as opposed to what you learn. They are also teachable; as a result, teachers of all subjects should help their students to develop them. In the sections below, we will give you some ideas as to how you can do this.

The potential benefits of metacognition in learning are as follows:

Higher achievement levels for the students. Metacognitive practices can also compensate for any cognitive limitations that a student might have, according to research such as this.

Increased ability to learn independently. Being able to monitor their own progress lets them take control of their own learning, inside and outside the classroom.

Improved resilience. Identifying their successes and failures, and which strategies work best for them - or which have failed - increases students' perseverance in getting better at their work.

It aids disadvantaged students. According to this report, and research by the EEF, teaching in a way that supports metacognition is beneficial for students who are at a disadvantage to their peers.

Cost-effectiveness. This method of teaching does not require specialist equipment, nor any other large purchases - it only requires teachers to be trained in the method effectively.

Transferable knowledge. Metacognition helps students to transmit their knowledge and understanding across tasks and contexts, including reading comprehension, writing, mathematics, memorising, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Effective for all ages of students. Research has looked at both primary and secondary students - and even those who have not yet started school - and found benefits in all cases.

Emotional and social growth. Gaining awareness of their own mental states allows students to think about how to be happy, respected, and confident in themselves. They are also better able to understand other people's perspectives.

Although metacognition is about students taking control of their own learning, a teacher is still required to help them develop skills and strategies in order to do so. The EEF recommends that you teach metacognition alongside subject content, rather than having specific 'learning to learn' or 'thinking skills' sessions. These sessions are ineffective, because students find it hard to relate generic tips to subject-specific learning.

There are several other things to consider before taking metacognitive strategies and activities into the classroom. These are:

Your whole lesson needs to be structured in a way that allows students to practise metacognitive strategies. Broadly, you need to split lessons into four stages: You, Plan, Do, and Review.

The 'You' stage involves giving students a lesson starter where they need to consider their prior knowledge on a topic, and any strategies they have previously used to learn about this topic.

The 'Plan' stage consists of setting pupils a task (a learning goal). The learning goal needs to be clear and explicit. Students will have to plan their approach to it, the strategies they will use, how long it will take them - so they can allocate the right amount of effort - and what could potentially go wrong. Predicting how well they will perform a task can also aid metacognition.

In the 'Do' stage, the pupils will carry out the task, monitoring their progress as they go. To help them do so, you could stop halfway through, giving them sentence scaffolds to reflect on (such as 'I am doing the task successfully because...', 'this strategy is working because...', 'I am confused by...', 'I might have to change my strategy because...', and 'my next steps are...'). It is particularly important to highlight anything they are confused by, because this shows students that confusion is an integral part of learning. Recognising what we don't understand also leads to better metacognition.

Finally, in the 'Review' stage (usually at the end of the lesson), you should allow your students time to review what they have learnt - how successful was their strategy in helping them achieve their learning goal? What did and didn't go well? What could they do differently next time, and what other types of problem could they use this strategy for?

Provide Appropriately Challenging Tasks

In order for students to develop new metacognitive strategies, learn from their mistakes, and reflect deeply on what they have learnt, the tasks they are given need to be difficult (but within reach). If pupils are given something challenging to do, they are more likely to remember information from this task in the future than if they are given something too easy. However, the work should not be too challenging for their capabilities: this leads to cognitive overload, where their thinking fails because they are trying to hold too much information in working memory. You need to assess the metacognitive abilities of your students, and provide work accordingly.

A popular framework for defining the levels of metacognitive learners comes from David Perkins (1992). There are four levels of learner:

1. Tacit learners, who are unaware of their metacognitive knowledge. They do not think about any particular strategies for learning, and merely accept if they know something or not.

2. Aware learners, who know about some of the kinds of thinking that they do, such as generating ideas, finding evidence, etc. However, thinking is not necessarily deliberate or planned.

3. Strategic learners, who organise their thinking by using problem-solving, grouping and classifying, evidence-seeking, decision-making, etc. They know and apply the strategies that help them learn.

4. Reflective learners, who are not only strategic about their thinking, but also reflect upon their learning while it is happening. They consider the success or failure of any strategies they are using, and revise them as appropriate.

Once you know what level students are on, you can plan your support accordingly. For example, with tacit learners, you will need to focus on all aspects of metacognition, guiding them through the process of learning. With higher-level learners, you can withdraw some support.

Give Them Learning Strategies to Use

Before students can use and assess different learning strategies, they need to know some of these strategies. You will need to explicitly teach them how to learn, as well as giving them opportunities to monitor and review their knowledge. One way to do this is by modelling your own metacognitive approaches: show the students how you would approach a task, illustrating your thought process as you do so.

For example, if you are asking students to write a paragraph of an essay, you should write your own example on the board, explaining the decisions you are making (such as how you choose the right subject terminology), and how you correct and improve your work to create a second draft. For instance, 'I'm not sure if I've got this term right, but I remember seeing it in the textbook, so I'll check there', 'now that I've written a bit more, I've realised that this sentence could be cut, because it's repetitive', or 'I have done a similar piece of work before, so I'm going to look at my feedback on that and use it to write this one'.

You should also model resilient behaviours as you do so, such as 'this is really hard, and I'm not sure if I'm doing it right, but I know it will be useful practice for my exam, so I'm going to keep going'. Illustrate where students can look for help, such as the marking criteria.

This is extremely useful for students, because it shows them how to succeed behind the scenes - the struggles that everyone goes through in order to become good at a type of work. It makes it clear that we aren't just born with the ability to do things; our brains grow and develop as we practise (a growth mindset).

We have compiled a list of 12 tips, strategies and activities involving metacognition that you could use alongside modelling and 'You, Plan, Do, Review'. These are:

1. Learning/Thinking Journals

Journals help students to develop their self-awareness, improve their ability to plan and monitor progress, and promote skills in self-reflection. Try asking your students to keep personal learning journals, and assign them weekly questions for them to reflect on, such as:

What was easiest for me to learn this week, and why?

What was most challenging for me to learn, and why?

Which study strategies worked well?

Which study strategies didn't work well, and what could I do differently next time?

Did my study habits work well for me? What effect did they have on my learning?

Which study habit could I improve upon next week?

What are my targets for next week?

They could also record ideas they have during a lesson and questions they want to ask, as well as reflecting upon how the ideas they have learnt connect to other topics.

The journal doesn't necessarily need to be a notebook - your students could use any format that works well for them, including a mind map, blog, list, mobile phone app, or something else.

2. KWL Charts

A KWL chart is a way of tracking the 'You, Plan, Do, Review' process. The idea is to create a chart for your students to use, with space for them to answer the following questions:

What do I know?

What do I want to know?

What did I learn?

These questions ( know, want, and learn) make up the letters in KWL. At the beginning of the lesson, students can answer the first question - what they already know that might help them in this lesson. This will activate their prior knowledge, and highlight any misunderstandings.

The second question provides you with ideas for future learning activities. Students could structure their answers in the form of 'how...?', 'when...?', or 'why...?' questions.

The monitoring stage is not included in the KWL chart, but you could ask your pupils to ask themselves their own questions, such as 'how am I doing?' and 'is this strategy working?'.

At the end of the lesson, students can answer 'what did I learn?', as well as filling in anything else they want to know that remains unanswered. It is good to reflect on their own cognitive growth, such as 'before this lesson, I thought that ___. Now I know that ___.'

3. Essays

Research such as this has shown that essays require higher-level metacognitive skills - multiple-choice questions, in contrast, use lower-level skills. As a result, asking your students to write essays, especially when preparing for exams, could help them to prepare and learn as much as possible.

4. Rules About Asking for Help

Instead of getting students to put their hands up as soon as they need help, set some rules that make them more involved in the thinking process. For example, you could ask them to go to a fellow student - or group of students - to discuss it first, and only to ask you if they can't find the answer together. You could also try getting students to think about exactly what they need to know, or which part of their work they need to improve, before coming to you. This helps them to practise self-directed learning.

5. Mnemonics

Teach your pupils techniques such as mnemonics to help them remember difficult information. This ensures that they are less likely to experience cognitive overload, allowing them to move on to higher-level thinking.

You could use expression or word mnemonics, such as ROY G BIV to remember the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). The same thing could be remembered in a mnemonic sentence, such as 'Richard of York gave battle in vain'.

6. Exam Wrappers

These are worksheets containing reflective questions that help students to think about their performance in a test or exam. You could give them to your pupils both before and after they receive their results and feedback.

The worksheets given out before they receive feedback should ask them to think about how they prepared for the exam - for example, which study strategies they used. Those given out after the feedback should make the student reflect on the mistakes they made, and how they could prepare differently to ensure greater success in the future, making them strategic learners.

Metacognitive talk involves talking through what you are thinking while you carry out a task. This can help students to focus and better understand their thought processes. You could try implementing this by first modelling how to do it - work through a task in front of the class, talking out loud as you do so - and then letting the class have a go.

The questions your students should ask and answer out loud are:

What do I know about this topic?

Have I done a task like this before?

What strategies worked last time?

What do I need to do first?

How am I doing?

What should I do next?

Should I try a different strategy?

Who can I ask for help?

How well did I do at this task?

What could I do differently next time?

8. Reciprocal Teaching

This strategy allows students to take on the role of teacher and attempt to teach learning strategies to other students. For example, if they were teaching reading comprehension, they might show their fellow students how to question what they've read, clarify things they don't understand, summarise the text, and make informed predictions about what they have read. This can help metacognition by deepening their knowledge and understanding of each learning strategy.

9. Traffic Lights

Traffic lights can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom; in this instance, students could use them to signify what they found confusing or challenging in a lesson (red), what made them think differently about something (amber), and what they understood well (green). They could fill in a traffic light worksheet answering these questions at the end of each lesson. This method makes them reflect upon their learning, developing their metacognitive abilities. Smiling, frowning, or neutral faces could be used in the same way - this might be a good strategy for encouraging metacognition in the primary classroom.

10. Feedback

Being given feedback makes students think about what they have done and how they could improve it - as a result, it is a key way to develop metacognition. However, you should ensure that the feedback you are giving is effective; our article 'Effective Communication in the Classroom: Skills for Teachers' discusses how to do this.

11. Reflexive Thinking

Talking about and becoming aware of biases - for example, societal biases - is a metacognitive process called reflexivity. Having classroom discussions about these topics encourages students to consider what they're unconsciously thinking. Try talking about moral dilemmas, racism, wealth, poverty, and justice.

12. Goals

Encourage your students to set their own goals. This is one of the best ways for them to monitor their learning progress, and review whether they need to make any changes. Make sure that their goals are challenging but realistic, and that they are focused on developing learning and building skills.
Encouraging metacognition in the classroom is a way to ensure that your students are learning effectively. This will help them throughout their lives by developing their resilience, memory, self-awareness, reasoning skills, and problem-solving abilities.
Further Resources:

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Metacognition in the Classroom: Benefits & Strategies

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Encouraging metacognition in the classroom is a way to ensure that your students are learning effectively. Find strategies you could use to teach it here.

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As you read this case study, consider how the teacher uses a variety of modelling approaches in her lessons and the reasons she uses each. Take some time to reflect on what the teacher does, how they do it, what they might do differently and how this might influence your own practice in your own subject.

A Metacognitive Approach to Problem Solving in Secondary Science

Metacognitive regulation is often described by a plan, monitor, evaluate cycle (Quigley et al. 2018). This is very similar to the mathematical approach to problem-solving described by Polya (1957), which involves 5 stages: getting acquainted, working for a better understanding, hunting for the helpful idea, carrying out the plan and looking back.

It is possible to adapt this strategy to one which is more easily remembered, called the '5Ps of Problem Solving'. These are:

1. Problem: Familiarising yourself with the problem

2. Parts: Breaking the problem into its constituent parts

3. Prior Knowledge: Activating the prior knowledge that is related to the problem

4. Proceed: Monitoring the plan as it is carried out

5. Post-mortem: Reflecting on the success of the strategy

This problem solving process can be used for answering exam questions or solving quantitative problems in science. The approach to use when using this strategy with students will depend on the extent to which they are self-regulated learners. Peters and Kitsantis (2010) describe four levels of Progressively introducing students to new concepts to suppor... scaffolding More : modelling the process, providing a checklist for a specific task, general metacognitive prompts and linking to scientific thinking.

Modelling the use of the 5Ps of problems solving can be illustrated using a GCSE 6 mark exam question (see Figure 1 below). When doing this, it is important not just to write an exemplar answer (implicit teaching) but to talk about the decision-making process i.e. why a particular strategy has been chosen (explicit teaching). The difference between implicit and explicit teaching is important because explicit teaching is much less common but significantly more effective (Kistner et al. 2010). Annotating an exam question using a visualiser or iPad is very useful, although it can also be done by animating the comments in a slideshow.

The following script could be used to talk through this problem:

'So first of all I look at the problem. I'm looking for key information that is going to help me. The first thing I spot is that the question is about Len's ideas so I don't have to consider Mack's ideas at all. The second thing I notice is that the question asks for examples and data from the table, so I know I need to be really specific and refer to the numbers.

Then I look at the different parts of the question. Well here down the bottom there's only really one question so how do I structure my answer? I'm going to look at what Len says in more detail. OK, here he refers to the bonds in elements and compounds. So perhaps I could have one paragraph on the bond energy in elements and one paragraph on the bond energy in compounds.

Then thinking about my prior knowledge, I know the order of the halogens: fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. I know that elements only have one type of atom and compounds have two. Perhaps I could make a note of these things in the margin. I've answered 6-mark questions before so I know a good strategy is to highlight key facts in the data. So here for the elements I can see that the energy gets weaker down the group but here I can see fluorine doesn't match that. And here in the compounds I can see that the energy gets weaker down the... Hang on a minute, bromine and chlorine aren't in the right order so that means that HCl is an exception.'

There are several important points to highlight when modelling the question. Students often write vague answers, without quoting the information given. Highlighting the part of the question that requests this can help them to spot similar phrases in future. The second important point is to encourage students to plan their answers by considering how they will group ideas together. Some of the marks in these questions are for the quality of written communication and therefore it is important to structure them well. The final point is the importance of considering prior knowledge when looking at the question. Connecting ideas together and to an unfamiliar context is something students find particularly challenging and encouraging them to pause and reflect on this will help them practise.

After all that discussion, the students could be asked to write down their answer. In order to complete the process they could then reflect on the success of their answer and discuss the strategies they used.

If the students are more familiar with the process, then the following checklist could be used to help them analyse the question before they write their answer.

Table 1: Checklist for use with the above six mark question

What do I already know about the halogens?

What do I already know about elements and compounds?

What do I already know about answering six mark questions?

Did I include all the points in the mark scheme?

Did I make any mistakes in spelling or grammar?

Did my structure work well?

Metacognitive Prompts

As students develop better skills in self-regulation and are more confident with a model such as the 5Ps of problem solving then the prompts (Table 1) can become more general so that they can be applied by students to unfamiliar examples (see Table 2). Other examples of prompts can be found in the EEF report on Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning (Quigley et al. 2018).
References
Kistner S, Rakoczy K, Otto B, Dignath-van Ewijk C, Büttner G and Klieme E (2010) Promotion of self-regulated learning in classrooms: investigating frequency, quality, and consequences for student performance. Metacognition Learning 5(2):157-171.

Peters E and Kitsantas A (2010) The Effect of Nature of Science Metacognitive Prompts on Science Students' Content and Nature of Science Knowledge. Metacognition and Self-Regulatory Efficacy. School Science and Mathematics. 110(8), 382-397.

Polya G (1957) How to solve it. Anchor Books. Princeton

Quigley A, Muijs D and Stringer E (2018) Metacognition and Self-regulated learning guidance report . Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/metacognition-and-self-regulated-learning/ (accessed January 2020)

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Modelling and metacognition in a secondary classroom : My College

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This case study was written by Elizabeth Mountstevens, a secondary science teacher. As you read this case study, consider how the teacher uses a variety of modelling approaches in her lessons and the reasons she uses each. Take some time to reflect on what the teacher does, how they do it, what they might do [...]

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Modelling is something that we are doing lesson in, lesson out. Day in, day out. Come rain or shine, we're modelling something! Despite the fact that it is something that we do several times a day and dozens of times a week, it is still something that we can improve on as a teaching profession. Metacognitive modelling provides us with that opportunity to present a new concept or strategy to students, which, if presented clearly, succinctly and accurately, will allow for deep levels of understanding, and hopefully learning, from our students.

Supporting, not replacing, our practices

As modelling is something that we do so often, it therefore provides a suitable area of classroom practice that we can inject with some high-quality metacognitive ideas. As I've written about previously, the introduction of metacognition ought to be straight forward. Our practices, honed over months and years should not be torn apart and replaced, but rather supported and improved through an engagement with metacognition theory and strategies.

If modelling is such a good avenue in then, what should we be doing? Below are three different metacognitive modelling strategies that fit easily into the classroom, as well as when and why you should be using them!

1. Explicit justifications

You probably think that each decision that you make with your modelling for students is justified. Every correction, strategy choice and assumption has been clearly explained to students. They are completely enlightened as to your choices. However, if you take a step back, and actually consider your dialogue, you will quite often find choices that you are selecting, changes that you are making, and assumptions that you are taking, are not clearly explained to students This prevents a student from truly understanding where these changes, choices and assumptions are coming from.

Through discussing these areas explicitly with students, we are unmasking our implicit metacognitive thinking - removing the veil of our 'expert blindness'. Students deserve, and need, to understand where these decisions are coming from. Through careful consideration of language, and an emphasis on why you are making choices, changes and assumptions, student learning will very quickly become significantly deeper.

2. Strategy comparison

One way in which to upskill our students is to provide them with a range of alternative strategies that they have access to. A range of strategies will ensure that students can be fluid in their strategy choices, adapting and meeting the demands of new questions and problems. Though we may provide students with the opportunity to use different strategies, do we actually provide students with sufficient time to evaluate the respective utility and purpose of each strategy?

One solution to this potential problem is through a very visual comparison of strategies. This could be done comparing two or more strategies side-by-side on a PowerPoint or on the whiteboard. This allows you to build a dialogue, and for students to explore, the relative strengths, weaknesses and practicalities of both (or all) strategies available to them.

Take for example solving an equation involving a bracket. Sometimes it is most sensible to solve without expansion, where as sometimes it pays to expand first. Without 'playing around' with various examples in your modelling, and without students being able to compare the alternative strategies for the same problems, they would never truly understand their respective utility. And hence, would never be in a position to choose, time in time out, the best strategy to meet a new challenge.

3. Model scaffold use

This is one area that I know I am guilty of - simply due to a lack of time. There are numerous occasions where a student is struggling in class, and you reach for the nearest scaffold - a textbook, Knowledge Organiser or dictionary. Something that will provide the support that student needs to access the learning and make the desired, and required, progress in that lesson. Though this is of course great reactionary teaching, could we actually make this better? Again, we know why we are giving the student that scaffold. It may allow them to access formulas, utilise specific definitions or check for spellings.

But does the student understand the purpose of the scaffold?

We need to consider explaining to the student, or students, who are using the scaffold, the exact purpose of the scaffold that they have just been given. By providing students with an understanding of what the scaffold does, it also provides them with an understanding of what their area of weakness is, as well as what they can use in the future to provide them with support.

Therefore, not only does the student start doing better because they have the scaffold, but they also know why it is beneficial and know why they need to seek it out in future. Furthermore, for reticent workers - those who believe that they don't need a scaffold - a 'cruel' twist can be applied. Evaluate a student's success sans scaffold. How many points have they made, how many spelling errors, or how few questions they have done? Educate the student on the scaffold that they have been provided with, allow them to then re-complete the task, and then re-evaluate their success.

Watch a students' attitude change once their outcomes have significantly improved!

In conclusion, metacognitive modelling provides us with the perfect opportunity each lesson to support student understanding. It is our gateway to provide students with new learning and understanding. If metacognition provides us with the improvements we need to make this learning even better, then why wouldn't we take it?
Nathan Burns is a teacher of Mathematics and Assistant KS3 Progress and Achievement Leader at David Nieper Academy in Alfreton. He is a former Metacognitive Implementation Lead, as well as the founder of metacognition.org.uk, which offers metacognitive resources and CPD. Nathan is passionate about teaching and learning, and has researched, written about and delivered CPD on metacognition for several years.
Metacognition is one of the six pillars that underpin the Oxford Smart Activate curriculum for KS3. Metacognitive strategies have been built into the teaching and learning resources, and there is additional support for teachers to help embed metacognitive talk within your practice.
More blogs on metacognition:

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Metacognitive Modelling - Where Does it Fit in the Classroom?

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In-depth discussion on metacognitive modelling strategy, including 3 additional metacognitive strategies to use in your classroom!

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Modelling is one of the many strategies that can enhance the learning process and help students raise their game. Modelling can be found in all aspects of life, from learning how to tie shoelaces to following a cooking tutorial on YouTube.

However, it can be especially useful in the classroom. Modelling is a technique that allows educators to teach more efficiently and ensure that their students are making the most of their time in class. So, what exactly is modelling and how can we use it to further students' learning?

What is Modelling?

Modelling is an instructional strategy. This strategy includes demonstrating the desired skill or behaviour. During this process, teachers simultaneously describe what they're doing and why they're doing it. Research suggests that modelling fosters positive student outcomes. It is an interactive process that, through structured guided practice, makes concepts more accessible. It can encourage students to become more reflective, and has been shown to increase on-task behaviour, student engagement and achievement.

Modelling a thought process, rather than an action, can be a little complex. Explaining to students how you came to a decision, based on various mental processes, can be challenging. However, sometimes if you share your own experiences that helped aid your own understanding of the concept, it can often offer your students an authentic insight into the development of that skill. This is sometimes called 'mental models'.

Learning becomes a much smoother process after teaching your students efficient ways to build on the quality of their thinking. 'Mental models'can help guide students to approach and solve problems more effectively. Encouraging students to build this kind of skill can have many long-term benefits. In any situation, both inside and outside of the classroom, they can apply what the mental models taught them and resolve issues successfully.

Benefits of Modelling

Modelling is a visual expression of the topic you're teaching, making it easier to understand. Research has shown that visual explanations can improve learning. Using explicit examples whilst modelling can help reduce student confusion and enhance their understanding of the concept or skill you're teaching them.

A research study found that modelling increased students' on-task behaviour by nearly 3 times more than those who were not exposed to modelling. Modelling during your lesson gives students an opportunity to interact and engage with what they are learning. Evidence has shown that participating in interactive activities in the classroom can lead to significant learning gains; this study of 643 students found that classrooms where diverse and engaging learning formats were used were associated with higher levels of student achievement.

How to Model Effectively

Modelling in the classroom can help address misconceptions before they arise. However, it must be done so that students fully grasp the concept or skill with little to no need for further guidance. Research suggests that a good model is:

Clear

Consistent

Concise

It should include several demonstrations; more if the skill being taught is complex.

Modelling is most effective when it has a narrowed focus and directs students' attention to the significant aspects of the skills being modelled. So, try and keep your demonstrations brief to avoid confusing students with long explanations that they may forget. Concise and easy to follow instructions can really make all the difference when it comes to a student being able to replicate the task and develop their skills.

When modelling in the classroom, it can help to have at least one student involved in the process. Showing that another student, a peer, can learn the skill helps the rest of the class visualise themselves doing so. When choosing a student to help you, it is useful to choose at random. This eliminates the chances of only academically strong students being selected and instead, shows students of all levels that they too can learn the skill successfully.

Final Thoughts
Modelling provide accurate and useful representations of the knowledge students will need to solve problems. Teachers may wish to include modelling in their teaching process, as it can help students develop useful skills with long-lasting positive benefits. By creating clear, simple-to-follow steps that students can easily implement in their own learning, we can develop independent learners.

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How to model a thought process for your students

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Modelling is one of the many strategies that can enhance the learning process and help students raise their game. Modelling can be found in all aspects of life, from learning how to tie shoelaces to following a cooking tutorial on YouTube. However, it can be especially useful in the classroom.